(NOTE: The following is my own opinions. They do not reflect and in many cases are in direct opposition to my husband John's opinions, so please do not read any of this and believe that I speak for both of us. I do not. If you want to know how he feels you are welcome to ask him, and I can promise you if you ask he WILL tell you. :)
(If you aren't interested in local politics, or aren't from this area, you might not find this blog very interesting. If you are interested in local politics and are from this area, you may be offended. Either way, you have been warned.)
As I sat in the glaring light and heat of the Fun In The Sun Festival in West Union today (June 9, 2012), I watched our neighbors to our right, - a conservative group who came together to make sure all of the previously Republican candidates get the required signatures necessary to be on this fall's ballot - scramble in the heat. The volunteers would approach each individual that passed and ask them where they lived, where they voted, and then asking the fairgoer to sign the petitions, if any, applicable to their area. Further down, across from us Republican Oconee County Sheriff's candidate Mike Crenshaw greeted fairgoers and shook hands, while his volunteers asked for the same signatures on their petitions. Go down the street a little more and you will find more Republican candidates also engaged in getting the necessary signatures for this fall's election.
Of the Democrats, there was not a sign. Plenty of crafters, civic organizations and food vendors, a couple of local businesses, and the music stage at the end of the street, but all of the excitement on the street was being generated by the conservative political volunteers going from person to person. This excitement virtually guaranteed that the now-defunct Republican Primary would be the big topic of conversation.
As I watched all of this I could not help but think about what an opportunity the Democrats of Oconee County had missed yet again. Since the Oconee County Democratic Party participated in the Christmas Parades in December of 2011, there has been very little other community participation by the OCDP. Including this one, there have been four community festivals that I know of - Mayberry Days in Westminster, Mayfest in Walhalla, Senecafest in Seneca and of course Fun In The Sun today in West Union - this year. We as Oconee County Democrats have participated in NONE of them that I'm aware of. We should have been at ALL of them.
I don't wonder anymore why we are at such a disadvantage in Oconee County - I know. In order to gain community awareness, we have to PARTICIPATE in community events. We have to be out there, talking to people, giving them our perspectives and our information and our opinions and letting them know there is an alternative to the same government they've tolerated for forever. Our local party has been hijacked by a group of individuals who are stuck in their ways and refuse to try anything new, and the rest of the group are scared of them or have wandered away. Our State party has no interest anymore of supporting the party on the county level. So what happens is that instead of speaking up and giving support, those people who would make excellent volunteers, people with energy, and heart, and commitment instead get tired of being told "Well, we don't do it that way" and they quit coming around.
I first posted information about today's festival two months ago on the OCDP Facebook page. Booth space was CHEAP compared with what most festivals charge - only $25. I even recommended that the party request their booth be next to mine so that I could do double duty. I heard NOTHING in return, yea, nay or kiss my ass. I also sent the same info in an email to the county Chair, and heard nothing from that as well.
At the county convention earlier in the year we knew there was the possibility that the OCDP could be disbanded. Many people approached my husband John and asked him to take over the Chair, and I was even approached to do it. My reasons for saying no were very simple - almost all of my energy and attention go into our animal rescue, and I could not devote the time and energy necessary to the party that it deserves to do the job properly. You will have to ask John his reasons for declining, but I know that the very frustration that I feel today played a role in his decision. I'm thinking now that disbanded might have been the best overall. Because this is just downright embarrassing. It is EMBARRASSING to tell a Republican volunteer that you are a Democrat and have them say "Do we even have a Democratic Party in Oconee County?"
I haven't been to a meeting in months, partially due to rescue, and partially due to the OCDP making the decision to keep meeting in restaurants despite requests by members that we keep the meetings in public venues where purchase of a meal is not required. And why did our leadership choose to make that decision? BECAUSE SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE FREEKING COFFEE.
Yep, that's it in a nutshell...God Forbid that someone might have to break a sweat doing what? Measuring a few teaspoons of (party purchased or donated) coffee into a (party purchased or donated) coffee pot, add some water, let it perk on it's own, and then pour it into a (party purchased or donated) thermos and - here's the hard part - carry it to a meeting? I don't even DRINK coffee so I am not very good at making it but I'd even be willing to take a turn at it now and again. That's just ridiculous that I even had to hear about that.
I have come to the conclusion that what is called the Oconee County South Carolina Democratic Party is, in reality, nothing more than a social club for a bunch of do-nothings who like to get together and argue. And I'm sorry, but cleaning a stretch of highway once a month, in my opinion, furthers the Democratic cause very little. If it makes you feel happy, I'm happy for you.
In the meantime we can't even field a slate of candidates. In a county this size, we can't find more than ONE person willing to serve his or her community, or at least willing to try. Why? Because they know they will have little to no support from Democrats. Democrats think we can sit around and discuss an election and make a few phone calls and win it, while Republicans KNOW that the only way to win local elections is to go door-to-door, house to house, church to church, club to club, until you are ready to literally drop from exhaustion. You don't have a minute you can call your own from the time you announce. And you have a huge group of volunteers to call on to do what you can't. Here in Oconee County, and many other places in South Carolina, we don't have anything close to that kind of dedication. Hell, Marilyn couldn't find anyone to man the filing location until John volunteered. Not that we had any candidates but you know...
Democrats in Oconee County should have been all over this whole election brouhaha right from the beginning, starting with a strongly-worded statement against the State Legislature for passing this flawed law in the first place. Then, when Adams "certified" his candidates despite them not being in compliance of State law, our party should have called a press conference to decry this action and demand that the county and state elections officials right this wrong. When the challenge against Bartee's credentials surfaced, we should have had an official representative of our party in the courtroom as the defenders of a fair election system. And when the Republicans made their recent crazy decision to completely dump the established primary election and force all of their candidates to scramble to get on the ballot in November, we again as a party should have demanded an investigation by the state as to what the heck Republicans are doing here in Oconee county to the voters. But we did NOTHING. You wouldn't even know that we exist...
The Democratic party is supposed to be the party of the PEOPLE. We are supposed to be the defenders of the downtrodden, the demanders of fair elections, and the ones who stand up and shout "I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO SHUT UP UNTIL YOU MAKE IT RIGHT!!!" Instead, what we have here in South Carolina and especially in Oconee County is "I'm not happy about it but I'm not going to say anything because we never have before and besides, somebody might make me do something if I do". Until we get an ACTIVE party that participates in community outreach, gives regular updates to the press and REPRESENTS Oconee County Democrats and Liberals, well, truthfully your little meetings are just a waste of my (and apparently a lot of others) time. Call me when you want to act like a real party again.
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